When dealing with a dictatorship, the militia, a body of citizens organized by the government for military service, is one of the most significant aspects of the government. In George Orwell’s Animal Farm, the dogs represent the militia of Napoleon’s dictatorship. They possess many of the characteristics of a militia, such an undying loyalty for …show more content…
Their role as the militia gives Napoleon more power and makes the animals fear going against him. In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies there is also hints of a militia, the boys in Jack’s tribe, but it is not nearly as realists to a real world scenario as Orwell’s representation. Jack is considered the dictator, while the rest of the boys in his tribe are the militia that does whatever Jack commands without hesitation. “‘I don’t know. He didn’t say. He got angry and made us tie Wilfred up. He’s been’—he giggled excitedly— ‘he’s been tied up for hours, waiting—’” (Golding 163) Golding only portrays half of what a …show more content…
In Animal Farm the scapegoat is Snowball. Snowball provides a place for Napoleon to blame everything that goes wrong. This is a way for Napoleon to control the ignorant masses using more lies. When the windmill falls down in a storm, because the walls were too thin, Napoleon is able to blame Snowball instead of taking the blame himself, “‘Snowball has done this thing! In sheer malignity, thinking to set back our plans and avenge himself for his ignominious expulsion, this traitor has crept here under cover of night and destroyed of nearly a year.’” (Orwell 70) Throughout history dictators have used scapegoats as a way to blame all the problems on one person, ethnic group, or race. A well known example of a historical scapegoat is Hitler with the Jews. Orwell’s portrayal of the scapegoat was very well executed, he showed just how far a government will go to manipulate its citizens. Golding took a different approach to this concept. In Lord of the Flies the scapegoat is Piggy, it is accepted by all the boys that when times get tough and tensions rise they pick on Piggy to make themselves feel better, “Piggy once more was the center of social derision so that everyone felt cheerful and normal.” (Golding 152) In a government situation this is not the most accurate way to depict a scapegoat, because no one is placing the blame, but rather using Piggy as a punching bag instead. Orwell uses more